McLaren driver Lando Norris has stated that the enforcement of new regulations regarding flexible wings at the Spanish Grand Prix “changed nothing,” despite previous “a lot of complaints” directed at McLaren`s car.
Before the Barcelona weekend, a major point of discussion revolved around whether the more stringent tests for front wings would negatively impact McLaren`s performance.
McLaren was widely believed to be among the teams benefiting from the advantages of flexible wings. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur had even suggested the rule change could act as a “gamechanger” for the competitive order in 2025.
However, contrary to these expectations (and based on the text`s narrative), Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a front-row lockout at the Spanish Grand Prix, the first for the team since the season opener in Australia. On Sunday, they converted this into a one-two finish, with Piastri claiming what the article states was his fifth victory of the season.
Commenting on the situation, Norris, who according to the text trails Piastri by 10 points in the championship, said:
“There was a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this TD [Technical Directive] and changed nothing.”
“The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. So, we`re very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend. It`s credit to the team that we have, to give day in and day out.”
Ferrari was one of the teams predicted to benefit from the flexi-wing adjustments. While Charles Leclerc achieved his second podium of the year, the article states McLaren remained significantly ahead of the field, apart from Max Verstappen who pursued an alternative strategy.
Lewis Hamilton criticized the updated regulations, noting they forced most teams to build new front wings unnecessarily. He suggested Formula 1 “should be giving that money to charity.”
“The balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before. It hasn`t made any [difference to the leaders],” added Hamilton.
“What a waste of money, it`s just wasted everyone`s money. It`s literally changed nothing. Everyone`s bent wings still bend.
“It`s just half the bending, and everyone`s had to make new wings, and spend more money to make these. It doesn`t make any sense.”
Explaining the timing of the change, implemented from round nine onwards after the FIA concluded late last season that front-wing tests needed strengthening, the FIA`s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis stated last week:
“We felt that if we had introduced extra tests at the start of this season, it would have been tough on teams and may have led to existing front wings being scrapped, and extra expense.
“Therefore, we felt that deferred introduction was more sensible.”
Significance of McLaren`s Spain One-Two (According to Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft)
David Croft speaking on Sky Sports News highlighted that a key aspect of Sunday`s race (as described in the article) was the apparent lack of impact from the new technical directive on McLaren`s competitive pace. He noted that McLaren had consistently asserted the TD would make no difference and that teams like Red Bull were focusing on the wrong area. It seems, according to Croft, that Red Bull might have indeed been mistaken, as McLaren reportedly only needed to add a small bracket (£50) to their wing to comply. Despite this minimal change, McLaren achieved a victory for Oscar Piastri and a second-place finish for Lando Norris, extending their lead in the Constructors` Championship. Croft suggested that McLaren`s pace remaining unaffected by the directive would have a greater influence on Max Verstappen’s championship aspirations than his incident with George Russell.
Norris: McLaren Still Vulnerable in Qualifying
According to the article, McLaren holds a substantial lead of 197 points over their closest competitor, Ferrari, in the Constructors` Championship after nine rounds. The text also states that Verstappen is now 49 points behind Piastri in the Drivers` Championship following his controversial collision with George Russell, which resulted in a 10-second time penalty and dropped him to 10th place.
Piastri reflected on their performance:
“This weekend, we were probably a bit quicker than we expected compared to Red Bull. I think we thought they would be a really genuine threat this weekend. They were with us in the race, but more through strategy, I guess, than pure pace.”
“But it seemed like we had a little bit of an edge over them. So, I don`t know. There will be other tracks where our competitors get closer. There`s probably going to be some where they`re further away. I hope there`s more where they`re further away than closer.”
In qualifying, Verstappen was reportedly three tenths slower than pole-sitter Piastri, which the article describes as McLaren`s largest qualifying advantage over their rivals.
However, Norris believes that single-lap pace, or qualifying speed, remains an area where McLaren could be considered “vulnerable” to other teams.
“I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been,” he said.
“They`ve been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn`t been smooth sailing for us in every single one. So, I think that will be the case in future ones.
“But it`s clear we just have the best car on average, and we still seem stronger in the race. Although, it`s clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now.
“I do think that our competitors are catching up. But, we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
Gilbert Pendleton